Looks like an Alludia by the foliage A highly toxic plant

Euphorbias can be and are most often caustic / toxic - Alluaudias are not. You've got a Euphorbia (maybe E. trigona) and remove it stem by stem, starting at the top of the stem and working down, until you have enough removed. Keep some lukewarm water in a spray bottle handy and use it to staunch some of the latex flow, which will be copious, so I'd do this outside for sure, and with the protection suggested (I'd strongly advise the goggles, as there's going to be a lot of opportunity for getting it in your eyes, so be careful and be wearing all of your PPE [personal protective equipment}).

Thanks for all the advice, we live in Missouri so he can't withstand the winters here, I've been moving this creature in and out for 15 or so years now, I have 8' ceilings in the room were he goes and by growing all most a foot this summer making him over 9' foot now we're going to have to do a trim....

Looks like a Euphorbia trigona. Alluaudia, AFAIK, don't have the light color pattern between ribs. However, it is hard to see the close details of this plant in the picture. Too bad it needs a trim. It is a nice looking plant. Rather than trim it maybe you can repot it in a more shallow and wider pot. That will help for this winter. Then start looking for a new home for it or build something with a higher ceiling for it at your place.

Poly - I think my wife would kill me if my E. trigona grew this big. Agreed that it is a very nice plant! She always jokes that if we got a bigger home I can have as many plant-rooms as I would like. =P

Thanks for the close-up of a VERY very nice E. trigona

I'd have an emotional hard time cutting the tops down that hard but if I had to, I'd slightly exaggerate the use the PPE suggested ( VIA a rain coat, long rubber gloves wet gear, ski mask, goggles) . The hard cuts needed could take a couple seasons to heal over and would also send out more secondary branches thickening the inner sides as it grows upward.

My opinion: I think they call them' milk trees' cause they can reach 40 or more feet. If me I'd keep a smaller outer trunk area in a shallower wide sized pot. I'd also use some efforts, finding the right ( special )place for it ( IE: A hort. center) and donate it.

I never thought of donating him, but having something in your life for so many years (15+) it would be hard letting go, he may just have to go in the dining room with 12 ft. ceilings for a few more years....

You can top off most of it to fit a smaller area (and lessen your beastly burden).

I'd not recommend a rain coat - it restricts your movement and can heat you up in a jiffy (and the same goes with a ski mask). These detriments to sound Euphorbia trimming would be well worth not having when you'll be putting your figurative nose to the grindstone whilst taming the plant. Sensible PPE is the key.

Great movie involving Euphorbias? The Naked Prey with Cornel Wilde - see them bleed, see them being used as tracking devices!

The God's Must Be Crazy! also features a huge Euphorbia ingens used to deter a bad guy with a gun. Instead of shooting at the bad guy, the good guy shoots the branches of the enormous tree towering over the bad guys head. Latex rains down on him and he quickly loses any interest in fighting...the Euphorbia wins ;-)

Definitely E. trigona, and it seems you have multiple plants in that pot. You could always thin them out, if need be. But as others have said, wear proper protection.

Christopher

These have all branched out of one plant I got 15 yrs. ago, the mother plant was one tall skinny branch ( 17 ft.) like I've seen most if the pictures of, but this one has grown more like a bush....

You definitely have more than several stems there, which could be divided.

Christopher

Villi,

Bar none, That's the biggest Euphorbia trigona. I have a few but never expected them to grow like that. I have the dark red type. It grew fast to 2 feet w/many arms in 3 years. I thought the look alike E. lactea grew large. Tallest one I saw was about 8 feet but much thinner. That would be a shame to cut it up. I would try Ebay or Craig's list and see who would want it. I would take a cutting and start over for yourself. If I lived in zone 9 or 10, I would want that big boy for my yard. But like you I have to bring every thing in every winter. Thanks for showing.

Stush

Valli, if you enjoy your plant, do what you need to do to keep it, move to the dining room as you say.

I have a trigona as well, about six feet tall, with only two trunks. Mine was a Father's Day gift from my son years ago, so mine has special meaning as well.

Christopher